Variable torque drive



Feb. 19, 1946.

E. D. HANSON VARIABLE TORQUE DRIVE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1942jisy/e D. fi /fl i j B) W W W Feb. 19, 1946.

D. HANSON VARIABLE TORQUE DRIVE Filed Ma 11, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Inventor Feb. 19, 1946. E HANSON 2,395,047

VARIABLE TORQUE DRIVE Filed May 11, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l l I M I v KI I I l i L I I I 03 I I III D'- Feb. 19, 1946. E. D. HANSON VARIABLETORQUE DRIVE Filed May 11, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I fl 22 4/7600 By p m gFeb. 19, 1946. E HA VARIABLE TORQUE DRIVE Filed May 11, 1942 5Sheets-Sheet 5 ,ZTif/a/e fl Hamsah NITED s'rnras 'A'rnn'r orrloi' 2Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in variable torque drives for reelssuch as are used in windingor reeling, up paper, cloth, wire, rope andlike material under tension.

The invention is designed with the principal obiect in view of providinga power drive automatically variable in operation as the diameter of theroll being wound increases to maintain a, uniform tension at alltimes onthe material being wound.

Other and subordinate object are also comprehended by my invention, allof which, together with the precise scription and clailns are read withreference to the drawings accompanying and fdrmingipart of thisspecification.-

- In said drawings:

nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when thesucceeding de- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improvedvariable torque drive in its preferred embodlment,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section drawn to anenlarged scale,

Figure 3 isa fragmentary view in pla ,ofthe clutch control unit,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, with parts shown in section, andillustrating a modified form.

of the invention,

Figure 5 is a view in transverse sectionltaken on the line 5-5 of Figure4 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

* Figure 6 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 ofFigure 4 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure "I is a fragmentary view in verticalsection taken on the line'l-I of Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view partly in side elevation and partly intransverse section of another modified formv of the invention, and

Figure 9 is a similar view of a part of the modifled form of theinvention shown in part in Figure 8. v

Referring? to the drawings by, numerals, and first to Figures 1, 2, and3, my improved drive in its preferred embodiment comprises. as, its,basic elements, a drive shaft I, a hollow driven shaft 2, a reelshaft 3,having a reel 4 fast thereon. a. fluid torque transmitting clutch, 5 anda governor operated clutch control unit I, theshafts I; 3,]being'horizontally aligned,

The/drive shaft l is 'iournaled atone endina bearing bracket 1 with itsother end iournaled in an axialeb'earing sleeve I providedjonv one sideofv the cylindrical clutch casing 8 intowhich said other end of thedrive, shaft extends, said sleeve I being suitably fixed in a bearingbracket ill whereby the casing is held against rotation. A belt pulleyII is fast on the drive shaft l between the bearing brackets I and il.

The driven shaft 2 is iournaled at one end in an axial hub 9' on theother side of the clutch casing 9 and is coupled at its other-end by asuitable slotted sleeve l2 and diametrical pin l3 to a reduced end ll onthe reel shaft 3 fitted in the driven shaft 2. The driven shaft 2 isJournaled adjacent its other end in a bearing bracket l5.

The reel shaft 3 is journaled adjacent opposite ends thereof in a pairof bearing brackets it, H with the reel i suitably fixed thereonintermediate said brackets.

Within the clutch casing 9 is a pair of rotary, axially aligned,impeller and runner units [8, i9 of circular form,,the impeller unit [8comprising a hub sleeve 2! fast on that endof the driving shaft Iextending into the clutch casing 9, radial I vanes 2! extending fromsaid sleeve, and a pair of annular side members 2! connecting said vanesadjacent the outer ends thereof. The runner unit I! comprises a hub 23,a spider'including radial arms 25 extending from the hub and carrying anannular side member 26 on one side of the unit, radial vanes 21extending. from said member 26 laterally toward the impeller .unit It,and an annular side member 24 connecting the vanes 21 on the other sideof the unit, said member 24 and vanes being constructed and arranged topermit the same to be moved over the impeller unit l8 laterally. Y

The clutch control means comprises a short shaft 28 slidably mounted inthe driven shaft 2 to extend at one end into the clutch casing 9 and -towhich end the hub 23 of the runner unit I! is fixed by a pin 2!, saidshaft 28 being endwise movable in the driven shaft 2 toward and from'the impeller unit II to correspondingl move the runner unit- IS. Acentrifugal throw governor is provided on the driven shaft 2 comprisinga pair of laterally spaced fixed and movable collars 30, Ii. A pin 32extending through the fixed collar 30 and through the driven shaft 2secures the collartosaid shaft. A similar pin 33 extends through themovable collar 3| by way of longitudinal .slots ll in the driven shaft2, whereby interposed between said collars 30, 3| acts to. advance thecollar 3| toward the clutch casing 9,

. and hence the shaft 28 and runner unit I! toward the impeller unit it.

Ball carrying links a plvotally connected, as at 31, to said collars 8|,3| in pairs on opposite sides ofthe driven shaft 2, and similarlyconnected to the balls 35, as at '35, act under centrifugal throw speedof the runner. As the runner slow down,

governor balls 35 slide the runner to the left, thereby exposing more ofeach of runner blades 21 to the liquid pumped by impeller vanes 2| andtending to increase the runner speed.

A sliding, peripherally grooved brake collar 40 is suitably mounted onthe driven shaft 2 for frictional engagement by a brake lever 4|pivoted, as at 42, to a fixed bracket 43, said lever and collar servingas means for stopping rotation of the driven shaft 2 at will, forinstance, when it is desired to remove a roll from the reel I and startanother winding operation. The collar so may he slid against the collar3| to retract the shaft 28, in opposition to the spring 35,,and therebyretract the runner unit I! into the described limit of retractingmovement thereof to stop the driven shaft 2.

Referring now to the operation of. the described embodiment of theinvention, it being understood that the clutch casing 5 is filled withheavy fluid, such as oil, under uniform speed of the drive shaft I, theimpeller unit It causes the oil to be impelled around the clutch casing9, in' the usual manner, so that when the blades 21 of the runner unitl! are positioned around the impeller blades 2|, the runner unit i9 iscaused to rotate, due to the action of the impelled liquid on the runnerblades zL andto thereb impart driving torque to the driven shaft 2 torotate the reel shaft 3 and reel 4. As the rimner unit l9 picks upspeed, the described'govemor moves the runner unit i9 to the right, asviewed in Figure 2, to reduce the axial extent of the runner blades 21exposed to the action of the impelled liquid, thereby tending to holdthe runner speed and that of the driven shaft 2 and said reel 4 con--stant, As the diameter of the roll being wound increases, theresistance, or in other words, the load on the driven shaft 2 increases,and tends to slow' down the driven shaft 2 whereupon the spring 35 tendsto advance the sliding collar 3| and shaft 28, and thereby advance therunner unit I! toward the impeller unit Hi to increase the axial extentof the runner blades 21 exposed to the action of the impelled liquid tothereby in- V the driving shaft 50. A pistonfil is provided in at 54,intermediate their ends to links 55 pivoted,

material such as rubber. An annular reinforcins member 53 facing thecore it prevents the core 52 from expanding toward the core 48. Betweenthe vanes 5|, the core 52 is provided with peripheral pocket formingportions 54 adapted under fluid pressure in said core to be distendedoutwardly as shown in Figure 7. The clutch casing is of hourglass formtransversely to conform to the edge curvature of the vanes 49, 5|. Thecontrol means comprises a fluid pressure cylinder 55 interposed in thedriven shaft 55 and forming an integral part thereof. A fluid conveyingduct 51 extends from one end of said cylinder axially through the drivenshaft 55. A fluid conveying tube 58 extends from said shaft into thecore 52 with its inner end open to the duct ill. The driven shaft 55 hasa reduced end 59 iournaled in the cylinder 55 with a piston rod 5|slidable out of the other end of the cylinder into a bore 62 in thedriven shaft 55. A pair of ball carrying governor arms 53 extendingoppositely from said shaft 55 at opposite sides thereof are pivoted, as

as at 58, to ears 51 on said other end of the cylinder at opposite sidesof the latter, said arms 1 having centrifugal throw balls 61 fast ontheir of the invention, the springs H normall act to swing the outerends of the governor arms 63 inwardly and said arms thereby act toretract the 40 piston rod 6| and piston 8| away from theduct crease thedriving torque in proportion to the increased power required to overcomethe increasmg load on the driven shaft 2. Thus, the tension on thematerial being wound is maintained uni-. form throughout the windingoperation.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, "I, thefluid torque transmitting clutch 45 and the clutch control mechanismtherefor-are constructed-and arranged. as follows: The impellercomprisesan annular, rigid core 48 of substantially semi-circular form incross-section with an open side facing the runner and spaced vanes 48radiating from the hub 50 and substantially U-shaped to curve part waaround the outer side of the core 48 with inner edges flush with theopen side of said core. The runner comprises similar vanes 5| curvingoppositely, relative to vanes 49, about a hollow core 52 similar to core48 but closed-and of expansible end of the cylinder so that the core 52is normally deflated. The fluid intheclutch casing is permitted to flowfreely between the vanes 49, 5| permitting increase in driving torque tobe transmitted. Hence, as the speed of the driven shaft 55 increases,the governor balls 7| and arms 53 advance the piston 5| to force fluid,air or gas from the cylinder 55 into the core 52 inflating the pocketforming portions 54 into protuberances which obstruct the flow of fluidthrough said vanes 49, 5| thereby reducing the driving toque transmittedin a manner which will be clear. Obviously, the reverse occurs as thewinding 12 builds up on the reel 13 and the driven shaft 55 is sloweddown.

' In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 8 and 9, theclutch casing 14 comprises complemental sections 15,15 bolted together,as

I at 11, one section 15 being bolted, as at n, to

the driving shaft 19, whereas, the other section 16 rotates about thedriven shaft 80 on an antifriction bearing 8|. The driven shaft 80 has areduced end 82 Journaled in one end of the drive shaft 19.

circumferential fluid chamber 83 with a hollow The sections 15,16 form acircular intermediate web 84. A disk 85 surrounds the shaft end 82 inthe hollow web 84 and is bolted to the driven shaft 80, as at 86, saiddisk carrying through driven shaft 99 and disk 95 through core 91. Apiston 92 in cylinder 9| is operative by a governor to be advanced andretracted in the same manner as described with reference to the piston9|, but, to force fluid, such as oil, into the chamber 93 and withdrawsuch fluid therefrom to increase or diminish the supply and thereby varythe torque transmitted from the impeller, formed by the casing sectionI9 "nd vane 99, to the runner formed by the vane 99, core 9'! and disk95.

99, which, together with said rod, are housed in the hollow driven shaft99 one end of said spring being suitably connected to one end of thepiston rod 99, whereas,- its.other end is connected to a variabletensioning device com-prising a. transverse pin 94 extending throughslots 95 in said driven shaft with its ends disposed in the enlarged and99 of a sleeve 91 threaded onto a fixed sleeve 99 bolted, as at 99, to ashaft bearing I99. An anti-friction unit IN is provided in said end 99of the sleeve 91 and to one race member of which the pin 99 is suitablysecured so that it may revolve with the shaft 99 in the end 99 of saidsleeve 91. Obviously, by turning the sleeve 91 on the sleeve 99, asthrough the medium of a hand wheel I 92 on said sleeve "91, the forceexerted by the spring 99' on the rod 99 may be varied. Ball'carryinggovernor arms I99 similar to arms 93 act to retract the piston rod 99and piston 92. As viewed in Fig. 8, upper arm I 94 is pivoted at H to alink J and at F to the piston rod 99. The lower arm I99 is pivoted .at Fto the piston rod and at G to a link I. A pin I95 extends through thepiston rod 99 and through slots I99 in the driven shaft 99. Brake disksI91 sleeved onto the shaft 99 in advance of said pin I99 are urgedforwardly under advance of the piston rod 99, by the spring 99'. tooppose a brake disk I99 sleeved on the driven rod 99 for operationagainst said disks I91 by suitable brake lever I99 similar to lever I5.

' The foregoing will, it is believed, suflice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention with- I out further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationin other respects than as herein set forth, and right is reserved to allmodiflcations falling within the scope of the subjoined claims. v

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a pair of driving and driven shafts, respectively,rotatably mounted in endto-end contiguous axial relation, a reel towhich the driven shaft is operatively connected, a fluid clutch fortransmitting driving torque from the driving to the driven shaftcomprising a clutch casing surrounding the contiguous ends of saidshafts, an impeller fast on the driving shaft in said casing, a runnerfast on the driven shaft in the casing alongside the impeller andcomprisshafts an impeller fast on the driving shaft in said casing, arunner fast on the driven shaft in the casing alongside the impeller andcomprisin an inflatable core, and means to inflate said core under highspeed operation of the driven shaft, comprising a fluid pressurecylinder interposed in said driven shaft, a piston in said cylinder, anda centrifugal throw governor rotated by said driven shaft andoperatively connected to said piston. a I

EBTYLE D. HANSON.

